Dungeon Siege vs Torchlight
Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege is a classic dungeon crawler that predates the first Torchlight but not the Diablo series. In this game, you play as a humble farmer who sets off across a 3D fantasy world, battling against hordes of enemies as the storyline unfolds. The most interesting part of this game, back in the day, is that it's a dungeon crawling game that is set above ground and surprisingly not in dungeons. In some way, it is more like certain parts of Diablo 2 and also Path of Exile.The game also has an interesting take on loot and inventory management. You'll get a ton of loot as befit a dungeon crawler, but the thing is you have a very limited inventory, even with a pack mule, and no vendors nearby enough to sell your loot to. So, you'll likely end up throwing most stuff on the ground just so you can move on. Dungeon Siege even allows you to assemble up to a party of 8 characters to aid you in your journey.
However, Dungeon Siege is a really old game and as such, the Steam version does have its fair share of glitches. You may experience constant crashes and installation difficulties even if you're running a top-notch desktop set-up. Some players have also mentioned that the ending of the game was cropped off somehow and that this version of the game doesn't include its expansion or a multiplayer option.
All in all, Dungeon Siege is among the top 5 classic dungeon crawlers back in the day and if you are interested to give it a try, you can get the game for as low as $1 during a Steam sale.
Torchlight
Torchlight is a fun dungeon crawling game that features an epic storyline, thrilling action and a loyal pet companion, which you can customize, to boot! Assemble a team of three heroes and descend into the monsters-filled caverns below the town in search of the valuable and rare ore, Ember, as well as plenty of riches and glory. You can even take a breather in between all the monster slaying to head off to a fishing pool and go fishing. The fishes you get are surprisingly powerful though - they can be fed to your loyal companion and turn it into powerful battle allies rather than just being a pack mule.Like most dungeon crawlers, randomization is key to the gameplay, giving players a fresh new experience everytime they replay the game, but of course, mod support also gives the game an even longer lifespan. To faciliate this replayability, the game even has a retirement system in place which allow you to pass down prized equipment to your new heroes as you "retire" the old one.
Torchlight may not have enjoyed a following that's large as Diablo, but the game has its own group of loyal fans and hardcore players who still play the game. The game itself feels so much more lighthearted than the dark demonic tones of the latter and is perfect for players who enjoy dungeon crawlers but dislike being scared silly by grotesque creatures of hell.